AGRICULTURAL NEWS - Dr Muller Strydom of the George Animal Hospital says he has received numerous enquiries from farmers asking where they can get the vaccine, but he warns that vaccines are strictly controlled by the United Nations’ World Organisation for Animal Health and may only be distributed officially by the government.
The Western Cape government announced this week that R100m will be made available to acquire foot-and-mouth disease vaccines. At a meeting of the Outeniqualand Farmers’ Association on Monday 9 February, concerns were raised about delays within government structures in releasing newly imported vaccines.
Dr Riaan Putter, a private vet from George, told the meeting that vaccine availability is critical. The entire quarantine area near Hartenbos should have been vaccinated within 48 hours.
“Waiting a week does not help, then the 10km becomes 20km or 30km. I am very concerned that we might be vaccinating five farms in a week and 20 farms in two weeks because we did not meet the first 48 hours. And it is not our fault. There is no vaccine [available].”
The Turkish and Argentine vaccines the government is now importing are the preferred options.
The Turkish vaccine contains a marker that makes it possible to distinguish between an animal that has been vaccinated and one naturally infected with the virus. “There are already Turkish vaccines in the country. The challenge is just to get them available.”
Putter warned against illegal vaccines that have been brought into the country. Some local farmers have already been exposed to these and it has been reported to the authorities.
“There is no control over these vaccines and we do not know what they contain. Some strains do not occur here. They are available on the black market at a huge price, but you do not know whether you are buying water or a live virus.”
A buyer could unknowingly purchase a strain that does not occur locally and start a completely new epidemic.
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